Final Blog of the Year

It's coming to the end of the year... as we are studying The Odyssey I have decided to combine what would typically be the Hero's Journey project with the blog instead of trying to cram a term project, the blog, Romeo and Juliet assignments (note: assignments, not projects) and the new format for state testing (which takes twice as long as what we are used to) into one term.

Having said that, the requirements for this one blog will be lengthier than one blog typically would be, however; the requirements overall will be less than what you would normally complete in one term. There will also be more time to complete it.

Fourth Term Blog Due Saturday, May 10

Reading:
4 reading posts (250 words):
don't just give me a summary... tell me what is going on in that brain of yours... do you like the book? Why? What do you think of the plot? the characters? what is happening at that moment in the story? what about the writing style? do certain things bug you? why? You have been writing summaries for a very long time... I want to see beyond the summary.

12-20 vocabulary words and definitions:
this can come from just about anything you read...no textbook vocabulary words, please. If words came up in The Odyssey, use them. If they come up in your reading, use them... if they come up when somebody says something... use them!

Writing (nine responses overall):
The first writing post comes straight from what you wrote in class about the Trojan War (I know I had you write a before and after, but not very many of you had much knowledge before we discussed it, so just combine this into one response).

The rest of the responses come from the blue handout that I gave you detailing the summaries and connections following the path of the Hero's Journey. Every "page" should be its own post. Each summary and connection should be 6-7 sentences each, and the title of the post should match the title on the page. If necessary, you can access that handout here: Hero's Journey Blog Posts.  Remember, your connections do not have to be huge major events... I just have to see how they connect to that part of the Hero's Journey (remember--we took notes on this).

I recommend that you utilize the time I give you in class to write some of this in your notebook and use your notes page to keep your ideas fresh. This is also an assignment that will be easier if you post on the days that we discuss each section of The Odyssey instead of waiting until the week before it is due to recall events that occurred weeks earlier.  Just think... the faster you accomplish this task, the closer you will be to completing this term in English.

Complete this form when your blog is done

Last Blog for Term 3

Okay, yes, I'm a big slacker... I know we've talked about this in class, but this is late going up.  The blog requirements were the same for all the classes and due on Saturday March 8. Regardless, here are the requirements:

3 reading posts (250 words):
don't just give me a summary... tell me what is going on in that brain of yours... do you like the book? Why? What do you think of the plot? the characters? what is happening at that moment in the story? what about the writing style? do certain things bug you? why? You have been writing summaries for a very long time... I want to see beyond the summary.

9-15 vocabulary words and definitions:
this can come from just about anything you read...no textbook vocabulary words, please. If words came up in the poetry, use them. If they come up in your reading, use them... if they come up when somebody says something... use them!

6 writing posts:
4 must be on poems--remember to identify the poetic devices... meaning don't just tell me they are there, but give the example as well... and discuss the meaning of the poem in at least a paragraph (which is more than a sentence or two).

Current Event: What is going on in the community, the state, the nation, the world???  Find out, and write about it. Don't just copy and paste the article, but tell me about it!! Then, tell me your thoughts.

Beyond that, you can write on anything you want to... from the topics handout (you can find that on my website under blog), from your own brain, or you can choose to write on more poems.  I'll list all of the poems we've studied through the unit... please choose poems you have not written on before (realize that with all of the craziness, some of the classes studied poems that others did not get to... this is the general list).

If you have not, please fill out the form on the previous post so that I can match your blog with your class.

I Miss You--Blink 182
Pride--U2
Life is a Highway--Rascal Flatts
Thank You--Led Zeppelin
Cough Syrup--Young the Giant
In Pieces--Linkin Park
After the Storm--Mumford and Sons
Grey Street--Dave Matthews Band
Vindicated--Dashboard Confessional
Demons--Imagine Dragons
Wish You Were Here--Pink Floyd
Bring Me to Life--Evanescence
Sonnet 130--Shakespeare
Lullabye (Goodnight my Angel)--Billy Joel
The Raven--Edgar Allan Poe
Casey at the Bat--Ernest Lawrence Thayer
Boundin'--Disney/Pixar
Little Talks--Of Monsters and Men
A Gentleman's Excuse Me--Fish

To Get Credit For Blog....

Since you may be in a different class then you were in first semester, I need you to fill out the following form so that I can accurately grade your blog this semester. Please use the link below to give me the appropriate information to find your blog and tie it to the correct class period.

Thanks!

Mrs. Lister

Click here to get credit for this assignment

First Term 3 Blog

Here is what I have for the first term 3 blog so far:

The blog is due Saturday February 8!!

3 reading responses (see the blog handout or the reading tab above if you need help understanding a reading post).

9-15 vocabulary words (see the vocab tab above for help with this)

The above requirements will be graded on Skyward as "T3 Blog 1: Reading"

Writing Responses (so far)

The 2 Martin Luther King responses from your notebook

• the first asked you what you know about MLK jr and what you thought about him or his accomplishments
• the second asked what you learned about him and if you thought he accomplished everything he set out to accomplish

Current Event
Free write

There will be more, but the requirements will depend on if we get to Poetry in time or not... so I will update you soon with the rest.

Update:  Choose two of the poems we have discussed in class and write about them.  They do not have to be 250 words YET, but give it a good try... one and two sentences will NOT work for these responses. ALSO, tell me what poetic devices were found in the poem (the term AND the example, please).

These requirements will be graded on Skyward as "T3 Blog 1: Writing"

Update 2:  I was asked to post a list of the poems we have looked at so far in class (This list is accurate to the poems we have discussed, not the ones we left to discuss the next class period). Remember, each of these poems are open for interpretation. As long as I can see how your interpretation fits the poem, you will be fine. Don't be afraid to state your opinion, just back it up from the lyrics.

I Miss You--Blink 182
Pride--U2
Life is a Highway--Rascal Flatts
Thank You--Led Zeppelin
Cough Syrup--Young the Giant (A4 required)
Grey Street--Dave Matthews Band 
Vindicated--Dashboard Confessional (A1 required)
Demons--Imagine Dragons

3rd Blog

Hey, Guys. Sorry I haven't been there this week. Can we just say REALLY SICK!!!! UGH! I'd so much rather be there with you! In fact, I think this is the longest I've been in an upright position... except to go see the doctor. Okay... TMI (yes, I just used text speak, get over it).

So, because I've been out, you (hopefully, if things go as planned) get a day in the lab to work on your blog. Hooray! So, here are the things that NEED to happen today... get as much done on your blog, and fill in the form, because I am having a hard time finding some of your blogs (if they've been changed since the first form you filled out) and it would be nice for you to have a grade if you completed it. Although, please, be patient with me on your grades... I haven't been this sick in a long time.

Click this link to get credit for your second blog

Now, here is the requirement for the final blog of term 2 Due Saturday, December 14

Writing:

• 12 responses to prejudice/racism (counts as 3 posts)
• thoughts on courage
• current event
• Free write

Reading

• 2 Reading responses (Thanksgiving week off)--remember, this is more than a summary... your thoughts about the story, the characters, the situations they find themselves. What you like, what you don't like, predictions, connections,etc. If you need help or an example, click the reading tab above.
• 6-10 vocabulary words (remember your definition, and the actual definition.

Second Blog Assignment

This blog has just a bit more required, due to the added time to work on it. Because in the difference in overall time between blog assignments (B-day had a shorter amount of time), A-day has a few more requirements. Here are the requirements for the second blog assignment (A day is due November 22; B day is due November 21):

Writing (notebook prompts most recent first):

Current Event: National, State, or local news article--tell me about it, what are your thoughts, give support from the article.
Childhood Memory--neighborhood map exercise--one memory from that area
What does it mean to be civilized?
Pride: What is it? Is it good or bad? Both? Why?
Sibling rivalry: The good, the bad, the ugly.
Bucket List (Post about one of the things you want to see/do/accomplish in your life)
A day only: Free write--anything of your choice.

Explanations of Writing Prompts

Reading:
Three 250 word reading responses (see Reading tab above)

Vocab:
A day: 9-15 words, your definition, actual definition
B day: 6-10 words, your definition, actual definition

The next blog will be due in mid-December

Log in Update!!

Today your passwords were reset. This changes your password to what I originally posted. The zeros now are at the beginning of your student number, even if it was the other way around when we've been working on the blog the last few days.  They were supposed to be reset before we set up the blog, but it happened during the day today. So, if your password is no longer working, switch to the zeros at the front of your student number, and things should work fine. Email me if that is not the case.